


Busy Signals

by seanchaidh



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-11-01
Updated: 2004-11-01
Packaged: 2018-01-09 12:00:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seanchaidh/pseuds/seanchaidh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scenes for "A Matter of Time." Stranded on a mission and unable to get home, Daniel and SG-6 wonder what exactly is happening back on Earth. First written 1999, rewritten in 2004.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Busy Signals

 

"The minute I get through that 'Gate," Captain Linda Beach announced to all those listening, "I am heading straight for the locker room. There is _nothing_ between me and the shower. Nothing."

"Yeah, but what about us?" asked Lieutenant Peter Jones. He shook his jacket, as equally grimy as Beach's, and made a face. "God, I haven't smelled this bad since basic."

"Hey, there _is_ worse." Captain Brendan Kerr grinned at his teammates as he gathered his gear together. "You guys weren't around when SG-7 came back that one time a month back. Two of them fell in some kind of mud bath or something, but it stank like you wouldn't believe. We're like fresh roses compared to those guys. Aren't we, Doc? I remember you and the rest of SG-1 being ready to go on a mission when they passed by."

Glancing up from the FRED, Daniel Jackson nodded at the question with a faint grimace. "Yeah, I'd say they were pretty ripe."

"See? I thought Colonel O'Neill was going to pass out on the ground." Kerr's grin remained on his face as he went to assist the archaeologist in securing the artifacts they'd uncovered during their stay on PX3808. The pottery and other artifacts were wrapped in their individual bags, then loaded into well-padded boxes that Daniel had thought to bring along, just in case. The more precious of the recovered items, including a well-wrapped miniature stele, were cushioned at the center of the hoard.

"I wouldn't say we smell much better," Daniel continued, giving the load one last tug. "But I agree with Linda. I certainly won't be taking my time in getting to the showers."

"Wise man," she nodded with a grin. "But it's been fun, Doc. I've never been on a mission like this one before. If you ever need people to help out with a dig on another planet, feel free to volunteer us. Right, sir?"

Her last sentence was directed toward SG-6's team leader, Major Richard Thacher. At the moment, the major was inspecting the area where the team and their guest had camped for the last two weeks, not too far from the site Daniel had selected for the excavation. Thacher glanced up at her words, gave a distracted nod before going back to finishing his task.

"Thanks, Linda. I'll keep that in mind." Daniel gave the captain a smile. The team had been gracious during the length of their mission, something he was always grateful for. In the year and a half that he'd been involved with the military through the SGC, the only team he'd really been involved with was his own, with the occasional mission where another team accompanied SG-1. The last two weeks with SG-6 was a welcome diversion, especially since if he'd been there with SG-1, he'd never hear the end of Jack O'Neill's complaints about there being nothing but rocks, dirt and grass. Good natured or not, Daniel found his friend's words irritating after a while.

PX3808 had been first scouted by SG-9 not quite a month before, and was initially deemed to be a world of no vital importance to the SGC's mission. General Hammond had changed his mind, however, when Daniel got his hands on a report and noticed evidence that the world had been occupied, likely in the recent past. If the Goa'uld were here recently, he argued, then it would be a good idea to learn about them. Hammond had agreed. The rest of his team being on stand-down at the time, Daniel had been temporarily assigned to SG-6.

"Okay, team, let's get ready to go!" Thacher called as he finished his inspection. He gathered his gear, heading for the Stargate that loomed in the near distance. "We've got a wormhole to catch!" "I really hate it when he says that," Jones mumbled, hoisting a bag over his shoulder while helping Beach with the assorted gear collected around her.

"Could be worse!" Kerr said as he pulled out the FRED's controls to send the vehicle toward the Stargate.

Beach shook her head. "You really are an optimist, Brendan."

Hiding a smile, Daniel shook his head as he grabbed his own bags, joining the officers in the trek. They were one of the newer teams in the program, but they were already slipping into the camaraderie that was a signature of older teams like SG-1. It reminded him of the early days of his own team, when Daniel had often been in awe of his teammates, and very insecure about his own contributions outside of his academic field. A lot had changed since then, but Daniel still experienced the occasional doubt about his role within the team.

Waiting until the four had reached the dais, Thacher motioned for their honorary teammate to go to the DHD. "It's all yours, Doctor. Dial us home."

Giving him a nod, Daniel reached down to press the seven symbols that would activate the Stargate. After selecting the point of origin symbol that he'd noted two weeks before, he set his hand on the rose-colored crystal to set the process in motion.

The Stargate's chevrons winked out.

"Huh?" Daniel's brow furrowed as he looked back down at the DHD. The symbols there, too, had disengaged. "What the hell?"

"Jackson?" Thacher's voice was sharp as he came to stand beside him. "What happened?"

"It didn't engage," he said, feeling foolish for stating the obvious.

There was a chorus of questions from the three officers at the foot of the dais. Thacher held up his hand to silence them as he questioned the archaeologist. "Are you sure you put them in correctly?"

"Of course." It was something he could do blindfolded or in his sleep.

"Then try it again."

Obliging him, Daniel went through the motions again, this time taking deliberate care to press the right symbols in the correct order before touching the central crystal. The results were the same.

"It didn't work," Kerr called.

"Thank you, Captain, I hadn't noticed. Care to tell me if the sky's blue?" Thacher snapped. "We can see that! Jackson, has this ever happened before?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not on a mission, no. On Earth, yes, it's happened on several occasions. For example, when the Stargate on Heliopolis was lost in the ocean, our own Stargate wouldn't engage. Or when a planet's moved out of the alignment the Stargate system was originally designed for, that's another case. But... never for dialing home."

"Oh. Okay." Taking a deep breath, Thacher glanced at the dormant metallic circle. "Obviously we're not out of alignment."

"No, Sam's program would have compensated for that when it produced these coordinates," Daniel nodded, then his face blanched as unpleasant possibilities came to mind. "But..."

"Something might have happened to the Stargate," the major nodded.

"Uh, sir?" Beach spoke up. "What are we going to do?"

Daniel held his hand up. "There's another possibility. We just might have received a busy signal."

He received four identical confused expressions, as Thacher said, "What?"

"Well, I'm not pretending that I know the exact physics about the Stargates, which I certainly don't. I just know what I've been told." Wishing that Sam Carter were here to elaborate on his theory, Daniel took a deep breath before launching into his explanation. "It's like a phone, one end calls up the other. So while end A is occupied with end B, if end C were to call end A, they couldn't get through."

"And if end D were to leave for end E five minutes before end F departs going two times faster, who would arrive at E first? I always hated algebra," Jones muttered, leaning against the FRED.

"Lieutenant," Thacher said in a warning tone. "At least that's a better theory than others. Okay, so we got a busy signal. Too bad the Goa'uld didn't put in call waiting."

Daniel gave a slight smile. "We should switch to a new Stargate company."

"You're telling me." With a sigh, the major set down his bag. "Looks like we're staying for a while, team. Jackson, you're in charge of trying to get through. We'll try it again in a half hour. Kerr, where did you put that deck of cards?"

* * *

It didn't work half an hour later. Or the half hour after that.

That didn't stop Daniel from repeatedly trying for the next few hours. Each time he entered the symbols carefully, only to find the Stargate refusing to form a wormhole. The first few times, he kept his frustration limited to a few choice words that were a direct influence from Jack O'Neill, but as they reached their eighth attempt, Daniel found himself giving the base of the DHD a swift kick.

PX3808's sun was beginning to set, and with the likelihood that it would still be a while before they could hopefully travel home, Thacher ordered a temporary camp to be established. Not as detailed as that which they'd dismantled earlier in the day, but simple and easy to gather together when they finally could leave.

Rather optimistic, but at the moment, it was better than the alternative thought that they were stuck here for good.

Daniel tried to avoid that train of thoughts, but as he slouched his way back to the rest of SG-6, several possibilities came to mind. Goa'uld attacks. A Stargate malfunction like the one that had stranded Jack and Sam in Antarctica. The SGC possibly wiped out by its own self-destruct system. Those scenarios and more flashed before him, filling him with despair as he slumped beside Beach.

It hardly seemed like the same group that had helped him with the dig in the weeks previous. The energy and enthusiasm were gone, as they half-heartedly ate from the MRE's that Jones had prepared. Daniel accepted one, barely looking at the contents that always tasted like chicken, no matter what the package said was supposedly within.

"We should rest and try again in the morning," Thacher said quietly, cutting through the introspective thoughts that were mutually held by those sitting around him. "Kerr, if you'd take the first shift? Then Beach, myself, Jackson, and Jones."

Sleep didn't come easily. Daniel found himself looking up at the stars, blurred though they were since he wasn't wearing his glasses. Somewhere out there was Earth, and he worried about whether it was still there. It had to be. If something had gone wrong, he should have been there with his friends, not out on some archaeological dig that held little meaning to whatever it was that was happening.

When he did fall asleep, his tension transferred to his dreams. Images of Jack, Sam, Teal'c and even the General appeared. Anxiety filled their faces, their words making no sense. Images of past missions, of threats to Earth not long defeated, came to the surface. They changed, becoming as he'd once dreaded. Earth destroyed by Apophis. The Broca plague transforming Earth into a society dead over a million years before. Entire populations wiped out by a race of virulent insects.

It was a relief when Thacher woke him for his watch. At least while awake, Daniel could force his thoughts elsewhere. He settled himself down, waiting for dawn to arrive.

* * *

Morning came with the realization that nothing had changed. The Stargate remained as stubbornly silent as before.

"We're stuck here!" Jones cursed, looking around at the planet that hadn't seen human life for decades.

"No one's saying that!" Beach countered, hands on her hips.

"Maybe it's the DHD." Kerr for once came up with a somewhat reasonable explanation. "There might be something wrong with the controls. Maybe a wire's crossed or something. You did figure out that no one's used it in a while, Doc. Maybe that's it."

A note of optimism again. Daniel was thankful for it.

Beach knew something of the technology, and went to work examining the mushroom-shaped device. The men went back to their makeshift camp, tenuously holding onto hope that maybe this time, something would work.

An hour later, the female captain reported that she thought she had something. A quick tinker, then the cover was replaced. Stepping back, she motioned for Daniel to do the honors.

The Stargate leered at them as the chevrons' lights winked out, yet again.

**

Daniel's toe throbbed as he limped back down to the camp. If they'd been dejected before, now they were completely without hope. Nearly twenty-four hours had gone by since they'd first tried to go home, and nothing was working. Each attempt to dial Earth's address failed.

Usually known for being relatively even-tempered, there were moments when Daniel's temper flared. This was one of them. Worried at what might have befallen his friends, and just tired of the planet, his foot had connected yet again with the DHD's base, much harder than before. Even with his military issue boots, he'd really felt that one.

"We should try to contact the Tok'ra," Beach was suggesting as Daniel lowered himself to sprawl beside her. "Maybe they can help us."

It sounded like a good idea.

"But how?" Thacher asked. "Last I heard, the entire thing was left as a 'don't contact us, we'll contact you' situation."

"We can go somewhere else, another planet maybe." Kerr shrugged at his own suggestion. "Teams 10 and 4 are out, too, aren't they? We could get in touch with them. Doc, you know where they are, right?"

Daniel nodded that he remembered the locations. He just didn't feel up to talking at the moment.

"That's an idea," Jones agreed, jumping on the bandwagon. "Worse case scenario, we're stuck out here for good. We could meet with, say, SG-4 and set up a shelter on their world. Providing that it's greener than ours."

A nod from the archaeologist to show that, yes, it was more lush there than on PX3808.

"Okay, we'll go check out SG-4, and then try to make contact with SG-10," Kerr summarized, looking to his team leader for approval. "Sir?"

"What if they made it back home before Earth's Stargate... malfunctioned?" Thacher asked. "We'll be gating to a new world that's empty. So suppose that we're there while Hammond finally gets their 'Gate working, and comes here looking for us? The same can be said for SG-10's planet."

"P3W541's life recently became extinct," Daniel finally spoke. He played with the grass, his fingers running through the blades. "I wouldn't suggest going there first, taking that under consideration. If we do go anywhere, it should be to meet SG-4. Then we can go check up on SG-10."

"I agree, sir," Beach said. Jones and Kerr nodded their agreement.

"Normally, I'd say no, but given that these are extraordinary circumstances..." Thacher ignored the snort that came from Kerr's position. "Okay, team, let's go. Jackson, if you wouldn't mind doing the honors again?"

**

 

Colonel Larry Cumberland's jaw was somewhere in the neighborhood of his chest as he stared at the five people emerging from P3X416's Stargate. Around him, the rest of SG-4 had similar expressions.

"Larry, hey, how're you doing?" Thacher asked as he strode down the dais toward the team. "Thought we'd drop by to see how you're doing."

"Uh, fine." His mouth closed, Cumberland looked at the four others who were checking that the FRED had emerged unjarred. "What's up? We were just about to dial out. My team's gathering our gear."

Overhearing the conversation, Daniel quickly came over to join the two men. "Have you tried before?"

The colonel shook his head. "No, not yet, Doctor Jackson. Why?"

The doctor and the major exchanged looks.

"I don't think I want to hear this," one of Cumberland's men muttered, his voice carrying clearly.

"We couldn't get through to Earth on PX3808," Thacher told him. "We thought we'd check up on you guys to see if you'd had the same luck."

"Oh. No, this is our first attempt. We're due back within the hour." Cumberland glanced at his team. "People, get your butts in gear! We're going to dial out!"

SG-6 cleared their gear away from the Stargate, while the rest moved into position around the DHD. Daniel watched as one of Cumberland's lieutenants went through the same motions that he'd repeatedly done on PX3808. In the moment before the rose crystal was touched, Daniel closed his eyes, praying that they'd get a different result.

The Stargate shut down, as though they'd never tried.

Kerr and the rest of the team gave the two commanding officers a knowing look. "Plan B, sir?"

"What's plan B?" Cumberland asked.

"There is no plan B. Yet." He gave the colonel a weary smile. "We might as well get ourselves comfortable, no?"

* * *

They tried once to contact SG-10, but received the same result as when they tried Earth. Daniel found it suspicious, but most wrote it off as a coincidence. They didn't try dialing P3W451 again, however.

The military personnel had spread out to create a new campsite, a few hundred yards from the Stargate. The plan for the moment was to collectively put their heads together and come up with something they could do, especially since it seemed that Earth was permanently unattainable. It was universally agreed that they couldn't get back to Earth, but no one felt up to asking just why that was the case. Likewise, no one really was up to theorizing on what was happening with SG-10.

The option of contacting the Tok'ra was still up in the air. There had to be a way to get word to them, but no one was really sure how. Other options were still iffy and being thrown about liberally. Previous worlds that the SG teams had encountered. The Land of Light would more than likely be willing to take in new people, that was pretty clear. A planet that the Goa'uld seemed to have abandoned was preferable, but that was something no one could be certain about.

Nightfall came early on P3X416. Cumberland and Thacher together decided that whatever action they decided to take, would be decided up in the morning. A quiet dinner of more MRE's was had, with little conversation. Daniel opted to sleep as soon as he decided he'd had enough of his scrambled eggs a la chicken.

The blurred patterns that were the stars looked a little bit different than the ones he'd stared at the night before. They held the same enigmatic answers. Giving a sigh, and the same hopeful prayer that his friends were all right, Daniel turned his head in the direction of the Stargate before finally falling asleep.

**

"Hammond to SG-4. Hammond to SG-4. Come in. Hammond to SG-4."

At first, Daniel thought it was just a dream. The General's voice matched the face that lingered in the dream he'd been unfortunate enough to have. The only problem was that the words didn't match what the lips were saying. That was troublesome, he thought, still half asleep.

"Jackson!" A hand grabbed his shoulder, jarring him awake as he was shaken roughly. The blurred face, shadowed in the early morning bluish light, looked like Jones. "Daniel! Come on, wake up! It's the SGC!"

"What?" He turned a disbelieving eye to the sound of excited movement near the Stargate, and found that the sky was still quite dark. His brain, still somewhere in dreamland, struggled to realize where the blue light was coming from. He soon had his answer. The Stargate was... active? "Whoa!"

He scrambled out of his sleeping bag, thrusting his glasses on his face as he slid his feet into his open boots. He didn't even bother to do them up as he half stumbled, half raced to join the rest of the two teams at the MALP.

"We read you, General!" Cumberland was saying, excitement on his tinted face. "About damned time you called! Sir!"

"We've had some problems, Colonel, but the worst of it is over." Daniel heard something else in Hammond's light Texas drawl, but at the moment was too overwhelmed with relief to think about what it meant. "Are you all right? You were scheduled to come home yesterday, but we just became operational a few minutes ago."

"We're fine, actually, sir. Just with some company. SG-6 decided to drop by for a sleep-over."

The General's sigh was audible over the speaker. "Thank God, we tried PX3808 first, but received no reply. We were going to put a rescue team together to scout for them."

"Nope, all five of them are here. Just worried like the rest of us, sir. We'll gather our gear, and we should be gating back within the half hour."

"Ah, yes. Good." Hammond sounded as though he wanted to say something else, but instead opted for a quick, "We'll see you soon. SGC out."

"Okay, people, clear up your junk!" Thacher hollered as the wormhole disengaged. He grinned as he spoke. "We're going home!"

**

Walking down the ramp from the open wormhole, the first thing Daniel noticed was how the embarkation room was oddly... bare.

The room was always tidy, and there was always a janitorial crew working at odd hours whenever a SG team tumbled down the ramp - often leaking bodily fluids, covered in alien gunk, or soaking wet. But there were usually crates of things at the side and big guns on wheels shoved off to the side.

Everything was gone.

"Welcome home, people!" General Hammond called from the control room. His words weren't as tinny or loud as usual. Daniel wondered why he wasn't using the speaker and then noticed the lack of glass in the window. Why use the microphone when just yelling would do?

What the hell happened while they were away?

"SG-4, your debriefing is at thirteen hundred. SG-6, yours is at sixteen hundred. It's good to have you home. Go get changed. Dismissed."

Daniel trudged after Cumberland and Thacher, and tried his best to shrug off his bag as he walked. The idea of a hot shower was divine, but Daniel's curiosity was too active. He needed to know what was happening - now. They passed a team of engineers, carrying enough tools and supplies to build something very large.

"Sergeant Siler?" Daniel called, recognizing a face amid the swarm. The tall tech looked at him and smiled, before pushing his way to meet Daniel. There was a bandage on his forehead, and he seemed... weary.

"Doctor Jackson, I'm glad you're back," Siler said.

"Thanks. Um, what's going on?" Daniel gestured back toward the embarkation room. "What happened while I was gone?"

"We're installing a new iris, sir."

Daniel couldn't help it. He gaped at the sergeant. "What? Why?"

"The old one was destroyed." Siler had a small smile, and he shrugged. "Long story."

"But... but that thing was made out of _titanium_!" He could still remember Sam proclaiming how invincible it would be against anything. What the hell could take out an iris?

"The new one is being made out of a trinium alloy," Siler said. "Maybe this one will last."

"Against _what_?" Daniel asked.

"A black hole."

Daniel couldn't answer for several long moments. "What...?"

"I'll let Captain Carter explain it to you, sir." Siler pointed behind them, and Daniel turned to see Sam just turning the corner. She grinned the moment she saw him and took off down the hall.

"Daniel!" She had her arms around him a second later, overwhelming him by her grip. He lost his grip on his bag, hearing it hit the floor as he grabbed to prevent them both from being overbalanced. She hadn't embraced him with this kind of intensity since they were reunited after blowing up Apophis' ship. That was a thought that worried him. "You're back."

"Hey, Sam." He thought his voice squeaked a bit from her tight hold on him.

She stopped trying to strangle him, but she didn't let go. She looked him over, taking in his dirty uniform, tangled hair and tired featured. He was sure even his boonie dangled limply against his back.

"We were worried when the General said there was no contact with your team." She was trying to be inclusive, but Daniel was sure she was talking mainly about herself. Sam reached down to grab his bag, keeping a grip on his left arm as she did. Once she had it, she motioned for them to start walking. "We tried the moment we got the Stargate working again. Everything okay?"

"We couldn't get in touch with you for three days, and you're asking if I'm okay?" Daniel shook his head. "Except for not sleeping, eating too many MREs, and being worried sick about you guys, I'm fine. What the hell happened here?"

Sam was about to answer when Simmons appeared behind them. He was perky, but not quite as much as usual. "Doctor Jackson! Where do you want the artifacts after they've been through decontamination?"

"My office is fine, thanks," he called. Simmons nodded before disappearing again, pausing long enough to get a long glance at Sam. Giving a shake of his head, Daniel smiled at his friend. "Everything okay between you and him?"

She was definitely amused. "Oh, with the way things have been lately, he hasn't had the time to do anything more than just give the occasional gawk."

"And about that...?" He hated to sound like he was begging, but he needed to know.

"Right." Her smile faded. "The long story or the short one?"

"How about the short one?" he said. "Since I smell, apparently."

"You do," she said, squeezing his arm. "It was a black hole."

"Yeah, Siler said, but that just sounds nuts." Daniel couldn't help snorting. "Well, that's rich coming from me after what we've been in, but... a black _hole_?"

"Yes, a black hole. You see, it was in orbit around P3W451, and we tried to open the Stargate to rescue SG-10, but the gravity and the resulting time dilation kept the wormhole open, and..." She stopped, even though Daniel was really listening. His brain just hurt. "And you're looking like the Colonel when I give one of my explanations about physics."

"I feel like it." Daniel ran his hand through his hair, wincing as one finger caught a snag. "Why don't you give me that long story over coffee? I've got time before the debriefing."

She patted his arm before letting him go. "I'll make sure there's a fresh pot for you."

"Good," he said before wandering back down the corridor. A thought made him turn back to Sam. "By the way, Sam? Back me up next time Jack accuses me of having bad luck. I don't even _need_ to be around for this to happen. I think it's him."

"I'll do what I can," she promised.

**

Warm, clean but still tired, Daniel tried to find a comfortable position in the infirmary chair. He slouched down a bit, scooting his behind away from the back and crossing his legs. That wasn't much better, but at least the rigid back wasn't digging into his spine anymore.

So, the SGC had faced a black hole, and had barely escaped. Sam had repeated the story twice, and even then the details were still too fantastical to absorb. Time had slowed to crawl near the Stargate, and P3W451 might still be connected to their Stargate even though the connection here had broken well over a day ago.

Daniel's brain hurt.

Even so, part of him was glad he hadn't been around. Archaeologists knew squat about black holes. What could he have done to help? But the other half of him desperately wished he could have been there, especially if it meant he could have gone in Jack's place. How hard _was_ it to make a wormhole jump?

Easier said than done, apparently. Jack had nearly lost his life, and the man working with him, a Colonel Cromwell, was the black hole's fifth SGC casualty - along with SG-10. Daniel couldn't imagine the scene, with the black hole's gravity essentially turning the embarkation room on its ear as Jack and Cromwell descended on ropes from the control room.

And when the wormhole collapsed, everything reset to normal. Jack hit the floor, and had been unconscious ever since.

"The colonel's spent quite a few nights in that chair," Janet Fraiser said. Her voice brought Daniel out of his thoughts, and she smiled at his startled expression. She stood at the foot of Jack's bed, noting something onto the chart before putting it in place. She then went to check on Jack again, her small hand adjusting the blanket above his bandaged body.

"I know." As the more than occasional focus of those vigils, Daniel knew that only too well. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He just needs to rest. He'll be back to his charming self before either of us know it." She rechecked something on the chart. "From what I understand, he didn't exactly have the most dignified of landings when the wormhole disengaged."

Daniel winced. "I heard."

"But he'll live." She set the chart down and came to his side. She squeezed his shoulder. "It's good to have you back, Daniel. We missed you."

He might have smiled, but her words coincided with Hammond storming his way into the infirmary. Sam and Teal'c were at his heels. His energy tempering down now he was among the sick and wounded, Hammond immediately zeroed in on Daniel and came to Jack's bedside.

"Doctor Jackson," he began, lowering his voice in respect of patients both conscious and not. His pale blue eyes narrowed as he fixed Daniel with a stare. "SG-6's debriefing ended ten minutes ago."

"It did?" Daniel glanced at his watch. Oops. "It did. I'm sorry, sir. I lost track of time."

Hammond's face softened. Sometimes he tried to treat Daniel like a soldier, and sometimes he cut Daniel a bit of slack - especially now they knew each other a little better than they did a year ago. This was one of those times Daniel appreciated that leniency. "I understand, son."

"But if you'd like, there really wasn't much to report on '808. It looks like the Goa'uld evacuated most of the population several decades ago, probably because there was a need for more human labor on another planet. The survivors appear to have escaped and perished in the surrounding terrain. I might know more when I translate the graffiti on the wall we uncovered."

"Yes, Captain Beach reported that earlier," Hammond said, apparently trying to be tough again. "But I would have preferred to hear it from you, Doctor."

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll have a report ready for you as soon as I can." And that would be whenever Jack woke up.

"Good."

A moan interrupted them, sounding muddled and thirsty. Daniel quickly stood up, cautiously approaching the bed when he realized it was Jack. He felt rather than saw everyone else gather next to them, and together they peered anxiously down at him. A few seconds later, brown eyes cracked up and peered at them.

"Hey, Jack," Daniel said, and Jack's gaze drifted his way. "Did I miss anything?"

Jack blinked, the joke going over his head. Instead of replying, he croaked, "I made it."

He sounded surprised. Daniel kept silent, letting Hammond fill Jack in the details of what had happened since his little adventure in the 'gateroom. Jack's puzzled expression deepened, the lines in his face turning into furrows as he listened. He looked like he wanted to know something, but didn't have the words or the strength to voice it just yet.

Finally, the words came. "What day is it?"

Daniel couldn't help cutting in. "Since you reported for work yesterday, two weeks have gone by."

They stared at each other, neither one blinking. Jack was the first to look away, closing his eyes as he murmured, "I... think I'll sleep in."

"I agree, the colonel needs his rest," Janet agreed, moving in to shoo everyone away. Daniel immediately placed himself back in the chair, determined to stay. If he didn't move, Janet certainly couldn't get him out of the chair. It was a fringe benefit of being almost a foot taller than her. She stared at him, crossing her arms. "Daniel..."

"Just a few more minutes, Janet," he pleaded.

She stared at him. "Five more minutes. That's it. You need to get some rest of your own."

"Deal."

Janet looked like she wanted to say something else, but the agreement had been struck. She sighed and wandered off, but Daniel had no doubt she'd send one of her massive male nurses his way when the time was up.

"Daniel?" Jack whispered once Janet's heels couldn't be heard.

"I'm here," he said, moving the chair closer so he could be level with Jack's face.

One brown eye opened as the head turned just enough to see him. "Been back long?"

"A few hours. Long enough for my butt to ache from the chair." He smiled at Jack. "I thought you would've left a dent in it."

Jack glanced at the back, and a wan smile pulled up the corners of his lips. "New chair."

"Ah." Daniel watched him for a long moment. "You okay? Sam mentioned that you knew Colonel Cromwell, that you two went back."

Both eyes opened this time, but Jack looked away. His smile faded. "Yeah. Way back."

"I'm sorry he didn't make it."

"Happens," Jack said.

"If you need to talk..." Daniel offered.

"Thanks." Letting out a sigh, Jack looked back at him. "Didn't think you'd ever come back."

"Yeah, well, I had my doubts, too. I kept on getting a busy signal."

The smile, looking a lot more sleepy now, came back. "Talk to Carter. We need call waiting."

"Or at least message manager."

"Big beep in the middle of a wormhole..." Jack's words were getting slurred. "Would work..."

"Yeah." Daniel couldn't help his smile.

"Cool..." Letting out a yawn that ended with a soft 'ow,' Jack snuggled carefully against his pillow. "Gonna sleep again, Daniel."

"Go right ahead." The five minutes were almost over, and sure enough, there was a beefy nurse lingering at the far end of the infirmary. "When you're awake, you need to tell me the whole story. It sounds, well, incredible."

"Long story..." came the whispered reply. "Later."

"Later," Daniel agreed. He leaned back to watch Jack fall asleep, and only then did he move.

After all, they had tons of time now.

*fin*


End file.
